Hi and thanks for visiting the best Ravens forum on the planet. You do not have to be a member to browse the various forums, but in order to post and interact with your purple brethren, you will have to **register**. It only takes a couple of minutes. You can also use your Facebook account to log in....just click on the blue 'FConnect' link at the very top of the page.

High Praise for Bernard Pierce

A little bit of a reach with the headline but Wilbert Montgomery is the man. This dude was on the field at the combine and picked out Pierce from the group and then Ozzie has enough faith to trade a couple picks to move up and grab him. Looking forward to an extend role for Pierce in the future.

Re: High Praise for Bernard Pierce

The YPC difference between Ray and Pierce this year is making it obvious that Pierce needs more touches. He could be the X factor for the game. I love Ray Rice and he's been a reliable and durable back, but Pierce has more upside running the ball. Ray would be better utilized as a third down back like LaDanianian Tomlinson. The difference is Tomlinson is making 1.1 million and Ray has a huge CAP hit. Ray has a big contract through 2017, it should be interesting to see if Pierce elevates his play clearly above Ray, how the team handles it.

Re: High Praise for Bernard Pierce

I love Pierce, and his play really makes me wish we didn't back the Brinks truck up to sign Rice. I think Rice is an awesome person, but just not a great power runner. He is great in open space, but is he millions of dollars better than Pierce? The RB position is much easier to plug and play with in today's NFL.

Re: High Praise for Bernard Pierce

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

I love Pierce, and his play really makes me wish we didn't back the Brinks truck up to sign Rice. I think Rice is an awesome person, but just not a great power runner. He is great in open space, but is he millions of dollars better than Pierce? The RB position is much easier to plug and play with in today's NFL.

I love pierce too I've been watching all through college where he was a workhorse back like rice was for Rutgers. Pierce was the offense. Qb play was awful

That said you need two backs in the NFL and at least his contract is front loaded. But pierce should, pending durability, cut into Rice's carries going into next year.

Re: High Praise for Bernard Pierce

We CANNOT fault the front office for locking up Rice long term. He is a top five running back in the NFL, and is a major focal point of our offense. Moreover, just because we traded up in the third round to snag Pierce does not mean the front office and coaches should have realized he'd be this good this quickly. Now having said all that, the next two seasons will be interesting to see how they handle BP moving forward. He HAS to see the field...a lot. Dude is a beast that runs just like Foster and AP: smooth and violent.

Re: High Praise for Bernard Pierce

Originally Posted by JoeCool5

We CANNOT fault the front office for locking up Rice long term. He is a top five running back in the NFL, and is a major focal point of our offense. Moreover, just because we traded up in the third round to snag Pierce does not mean the front office and coaches should have realized he'd be this good this quickly. Now having said all that, the next two seasons will be interesting to see how they handle BP moving forward. He HAS to see the field...a lot. Dude is a beast that runs just like Foster and AP: smooth and violent.

I hear people say a lot of things about Ray Rice and what he is and what he ought to be. I think Ray Rice is a great person, a great teammate, and a great offensive weapon. He's deadly in space with the ball in his hands, he can often make something out of nothing as a receiver, he has a nose for the end zone, and he's very durable.

But is Ray Rice a great running back? Specifically, is he one of the 5 best players in the NFL running the football between the tackles, specifically in our system? I don't think so, but I think Bernard Pierce could be--he has that kind of upside. I think Rice can get what's blocked for him and a little bit more but he just doesn't look comfortable as a pure zone, one-cut running back between the tackles, which Pierce does. Rice was better in 2009 when we ran more man blocking and he could read the holes easier.

I would like to see the Ravens split carries about 60/40 between Pierce and Rice with Pierce handling the majority of the tough running between the tackles and Rice being used in draws, tosses, etc. Rice would continue to catch 70+ balls a year, be the primary blocking/3rd down back, and get the goal-line carries. It's really the best way to use them both and preserve the longevity of their careers. I think the closer Ray Rice gets to the 300 carry mark the more he gets worn down which is why he's been so bad in the playoffs over the last few years.

That would look something like 225 carries for Pierce with a few catches, 175 carries for Rice with 75 catches. Rice needs to be used MORE in the passing game I think, and moreso as a designed route runner rather than just an outlet receiver. That is where he is best.